A global relay promoting peace from within is making its way up the Central Coast.
The Peace Run movement began in the 1980s and organizes relays covering entire continents. One relay started in New York City in April. Runners have made their way through the southeastern U.S. before heading west to Tijuana. They are now heading north toward Canada before they will finish back in New York in August.
The relay covers anywhere from 70 to 200 miles a day. Runners carry a torch and switch off going two miles at a time and typically run 6-10 miles total each day.
"Peace starts in each heart, and it spreads outward to others," said runner Natabara Rollosson. "It’s a grassroots way of looking at peace not necessarily top-down with waiting for the leaders to pull it together. It’s really from the ground up, from heart to heart."
Runners also preach the virtues of peace from within to schoolchildren and other groups as they make their way across North America. Other relays have also taken place in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
